The city corporation has decided to prioritize harmony and equality over space and comfort in implementing the first LIFE tower under state’s housing mission in the state capital.
The corporation planned to construct the first apartment complex under LIFE mission at Karimadom which was earlier chosen for another housing scheme under basic services for urban poor ( BSUP).
Officials brought to the notice of the administration that 320 dwelling units have already been constructed under BSUP at Karimadom and the dimensions of flat in terms of plinth area, number of bedrooms varied for BSUP and LIFE mission.
Officials learned that having two set of flats with different dimensions to house people in the same area would create social inequality and could lead to problems that would derail the objectives of LIFE mission.
In BSUP, the plinth area unit is 40.30m2 and it has one bedroom, multipurpose hall, kitchen, toilet cum bath and a balcony/ verandah. While in the LIFE mission project, the plinth area of the flat is 46.45m2 and with two bedrooms, a hall, kitchen, balcony and separate toilet & bath.
Corporation mayor K Sreekumar informed LIFE mission that implementing dwellings of differing facilities may cause social issues among the residents of the colony. Hence, he requested to give sanction to Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to take forward LIFE Tower project of executing 52 dwelling units comprising 20 units of 37.75m2 and 32units of 40.01 m2 instead of 44 dwelling units at a maximum estimated cost of Rs.4.62 crores.
The corporation has identified 50 cents of land for construction of LIFE towers in Karimadom colony. A total of 560 dwelling units are proposed to be built under BSUP scheme, of which 320 units have been completed and 112 units are under construction.
LIFE mission CEO wrote to the state government that the deviation request by corporation can be considered favourably and LSGD has now given sanction to alter the approved dimension of flats in LIFE tower which will be constructed at Karimadom.
Project officials with housing mission had to deal with numerous instances where beneficiaries continuously alleged complaints regarding selection, shifting to interim shelters and even grievances that flats had been awarded to ineligible beneficiaries. It is in the light of these previous experiences that the officials recommended cutting down on space and rooms to ensure peace and equality in the housing colony.
The city corporation is set to purchase nine acres for the construction of apartment complexes under LIFE housing mission after a series of botched attempts to find plots for housing complexes.